Territorial Abbey of Montevergine

The Territorial Abbey of Montevergine (Latin: Territorialis Abbatia Montisvirginis) is a Roman Catholic territorial abbey located in the commune of Montevergine in the ecclesiastical province of Benevento in Italy.

Territorial Abbey of Montevergine Abbatia Territorialis Montisvirginis
Cathedral
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Benevento
Statistics
Area	48 km^2 (19 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 16,000 15,800 (98.8%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	12th Century
Cathedral	Santuario di S. Maria di Montevergine
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Abbot	Riccardo Luca Guariglia, O.S.B.
Website
www.santuariodimontevergine.com

About 1120 William of Vercelli founded an abbey of eremitic inspiration dedicated to the Holy Virgin. It was consecrated in 1124 on Mons Sacer, so called because of the ruins of a temple of Cybele.^[1] Catherine of Valois and her son, Louis I of Naples, are buried in the abbey. The new basilica, built in 1961, is home to a 13th-century Byzantine icon of a black Madonna.^[2] In 1926 it was established as the Territorial Abbacy of Montevergine.

Leadership

 

Madonna di Montevergine

• Territorial Abbots of Montevergine (Roman rite)
  • Abbot Riccardo Luca Guariglia, O.S.B.
  • Abbot Beda Umberto Paluzzi, O.S.B. (April 18, 2009 – April 18, 2014)
  • Fr. Beda Umberto Paluzzi, O.S.B. (Apostolic Administrator November 15, 2006 – April 18, 2009)
  • Abbot Tarciscio Giovanni Nazzaro, O.S.B. (June 24, 1998 – November 15, 2006)
  • Abbot Francesco Pio Tamburrino (later Archbishop) (November 29, 1989 – February 14, 1998)
  • Abbot Tommaso Agostino Gubitosa, O.S.B. (October 15, 1979 – 1989)
  • Abbot Anselmo Ludovico Tranfaglia, O.S.B. (December 17, 1952 – 1968)
  • Abbot Giuseppe Ramiro Marcone, O.S.B. (March 11, 1918 – 1952)
  • Abbot Carlo Gregorio Maria Grasso, O.S.B. (later Archbishop) (September 1908 – April 7, 1915)
  • Abbot Vittore Corvaia, O.S.B. (later Bishop) (January 18, 1884 – July 12, 1908)

References

1. Catholic Encyclopedia: "Monte Vergine"; the legend, told to an English traveler, was reported in Sketch Book of the South, (pub. Edward Churton) London, 1835.
2. Described in Sketch Book of the South, 1835.

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Catholic Encyclopedia

40°55′07″N 14°44′59″E / 40.91861°N 14.74972°E / 40.91861; 14.74972